


King See No Evil

by brokenAmphora



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-04-12 14:35:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4483040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenAmphora/pseuds/brokenAmphora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short "Eridan and Cronus being bros" gift fic for a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	King See No Evil

**Author's Note:**

> Do not I repeat DO FUCKING NOT remix or reproduce this work without my expressed permission. I have had people do this to one of my fics before. I do not appreciate or tolerate it. Get your own goddamn ideas.

_So eat your anger, your viper gander_  
_I know your hunger makes you blind_  
_And it’s no wonder when the game is over_  
_You’re still nurturing lies to leave behind_

When you first met Eridan, you didn't know anything about him except he was really similar to you. A bit messed up, harsh, ambitious, rough around the edges. Otherwise, not too bad. You got to talking with him, realized you shared interests (figures, right? After all he's genetically similar to you), traded stories, befriended him, became brothers in arms.

Those arms always held you at a distance.

You wondered why, when you had been so open with him, when you had so freely trusted him with vicious thoughts and he'd understood unlike anyone else, that he had not done the same for you. You hesitated to ask, but you never bothered him past asking him if he was okay. He seemed to only shrug it off and go about his business like nothing was wrong. You knew better. You didn't press the issue.

One night, the levee broke and his anxiety flooded the place so quickly you could smell it. When you went to check on him, he was typing and pacing so frantically you could hear it from beyond the heavy wooden door. You pressed your ear to the polished wood and knocked.

"Hey Eri, you alright?"

"Go AWAY, Cro." His voice was breaking, not from frustration, but from panic. You felt the arms holding you back again. You were too worried about him to care about the barriers.

"Open this door Eridan, or I'm breakin' it down. I' done it before, I'll do it again."

"Fuck OFF. You wouldn't understand. You don't understand..."

"Well I can't very well understand a damn thing if ya don't tell me what th' fuck is goin' on."

You heard him sniffling from beyond the door and slumping in his chair. You rested against the door. "Look, Eri, whatever it is, I'm no' here to judge, yeah? You been holdin' me at polearm's reach for how long now? It's eatin' at you Eri, I can tell. I've known for a while now. Just tell me what's happenin'. I won't judge. I promise."

A moment passed and a soft click sounded. You opened the door, and Eridan slumped in his chair again. His hair was a mess. He had a habit of messing with it when he's anxious.

You closed the door behind you and knelt on the ground beside the chair. You looked him straight in the eyes. "I'm no' leavin' until ya tell me what filthy mongrels ya got up your sleeves. Be honest with me. What's got you so out of sorts?"

Eridan looked at him with tears in his eyes. "I'm a bad person Cro. I've done horrible things."

"We all done some horrible things Eri, ain't no shame as long as ya leave it behind you."

"No, Cro, you really don't understand."

"Try me." You were dead serious and willing to test the limits of your empathy. For anyone else? They would be dead in the water, cut off immediately. But this is your brother. You would lay your life on the line for him. You would listen to him cry and scream and tell whatever stories he needs to but he will not suffer alone.

"Are you sure?"

You nodded, ready for him to hit him with whatever demons he was harboring.

He sniffled softly and then let the levees break. He spat every word as if he was waiting for you to run. He was expecting you to run. And still, you sat, you listened, you asked questions, you understood as best you could. He told you things you would spit on someone for, but you understood his reasons. After all, there's always a reason. Reasons are what make the judgments.

He spoke for an hour and you told him over and over that you understood and it wasn't his fault that he is the way he is. Did he make some bad decisions? Absolutely, but was it his fault that people took advantage of his tendencies, his hunger for power? Never.

"You must think I'm a horrible person."

You shook your head and placed your hands on his. "Nah, just a kid with issues who's been hurt."

"I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you or anyone else."

"Well...I can't speak for the rest of them, but I'll be the judge of whether or not ya deserve me, yeah?"

A tear leaked out of Eridan's eye and he nodded. "Thanks Cro."

You wiped away the rogue tear with your thumb and smiled. "Anytime, brother."


End file.
